Enjoy Freedom

"Free as a bird," we say. It's not just their ability to soar through the skies, it's how they are cared for by their Creator: "Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them." (Matthew 6:26a NASB). God's creatures know the One Who cares for them, gives them the freedom to be what they are. Then Jesus asks this probing question of those who love and acknowledge The Father, "Are you not worth much more than they?" (Matthew 6:26b). Let me suggest those who have been freed from the grip of sin (spiritually re-born) too often fail to live in spiritual freedom. We allow worry and fear to rob us of true freedom! Because Christ is the ultimate and final payment for freedom, we are able to enjoy spiritual freedoms right now, and how do we do that? "Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." (6:33). When we're seeking and relying on Christ, we are free to ... enjoy freedom.

Peril to Praise

Consider the things we live-with, take pleasure and mostly unconscious of them - gravity, air, sunshine just to name a few. To fully appreciate such things is to further consider the consequences of their absence ... yes, it's rather scary! David spent much time writing about his enemies and how they grieved him; for example Psalm 6:6-7 (NKJV), "I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies."  I'm quite confident we all understand "sleepless nights" - tossing, turning and lying awake because of some troubling thing. This is what makes David's words so relevant; whatever was troubling him at the moment he was having a tough time shakin' it off. Tozer describes David as one "pre-occupied with God," which should inspire us at all times but especially in troubling times. "O LORD my God, in You I put my trust; save me from all those who persecute me; and deliver me ... I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High." (Psalm 7:1a, 17 NKJV). Regardless of how the enemy (Satan) comes at us and throws at us, none of it is greater than (1) what Jesus overcame in His flesh, and (2) the power and providence of God Who is over all things! Our troubles only have the power we give to them! It is possible, as David did, to turn the troubling moments into opportunities to grow in grace; casting weakness before The Lord and seeing His gracious rescue. David does this beautifully and repeatedly in his troubles: "I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me." (Psalm 13:6 AMP). What is troubling you right now - hindering your peace - robbing you of rest? Train your soul to sing in troubling times - turn your ... peril to praise.

Audience of One

Oh the process of preparation for a big event! So much time and effort and money spent on shopping for the right outfit and special grooming. I'm reminded of a verse in Genesis 41 - "Then Pharaoh sent and called for Joseph, and they hurriedly brought him out of the dungeon; and when Joseph shaved himself and changed his clothes [making himself presentable], he came to Pharaoh." (Verse 14 AMP). We can only imagine Joseph's unkempt appearance after so many years in an Egyptian prison; for sure, he was in need of preparing himself to appear before the ruler of Egypt. Psalm 5 begins, "Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, my King and my God for to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up." (Verses 1-3 NKJV). What a beautiful request of David's for God to attend to his words - words rightly spoken in ... humility. How carelessly, we approach our God and King,  unkempt (unprepared) foolishly expecting sweet fellowship. Dare we boldly approach "the throne of grace" with spirits tarnished with sins yet to be confessed and forgiven ... oh, the lack of preparation. Charles Spurgeon says, "Let our prayers and praises be not the flashes of a hot and hasty brain but the steady burning of a well-kindled fire."  David continues in Psalm 5, "For You are not a God Who takes pleasure in wickedness, nor shall evil dwell with You. The boastful shall not stand in Your sight ..." (Verses 4-5a NKJV). I have found an ongoing holy habit of spiritual meditation is a healthy exercise in praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) - helping to keep me prepared for and in His Presence. It's a Coram Deo lifestyle - the Latin phrase for "living before the face of God." For the true child of God, there is One alone for Whom we should be ever-prepared in heart and soul - that One is Christ Himself, our ... Audience of One.

Reality of Great Joy

The very first reality television show is considered to be "Candid Camera," which premiered in 1948. You may recall, a hidden camera recorded the reactions of ordinary and unsuspecting people to pranks and practical jokes. Perhaps what made the show so popular and funny was how we could relate to those reactions. When reading the Book of Psalms, it's impossible to miss this reoccurring theme: life is difficult. Numerous psalms begin with this confirmation of reality: "Save me and rescue me" (7:1) ... "Save and help and rescue, LORD" (12:1) ... "Keep and protect me, O God" (16:1) ... "To You I call, O LORD" (28:1) ... "Have mercy on me, O God" (51:1). Regardless of how cleverly and strategically we work to manage our lives ... hard happens! There is a grave misunderstanding of the Believer's battle in life, and Paul addresses this: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12 NASB). The ancient military general Sun Tzu said "know thy enemy" - know your opponent and his strategy for victory. The soul's enemy (Satan) is keenly interested in working through circumstances and relationships to lead God's people to spiritual demise - discouragement, anxiety, fear, anger, depression, weariness, etc. The second reality presented in the Book of Psalms is that ... God is good! "You have put joy in my heart ... In peace [and with a tranquil heart] I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety and confident trust." (Psalm 4:7-9 AMP). Unlike "Candid Camera," the life-is-hard reality is no laughing matter. Praise be to the LORD of all life, the certain reality that God is eternally attentive and faithful and good to those who love and persevere in Christ is a ... reality of great joy!

Just Jesus

It's true - we are life-long learners. I suggest we are [also] life-long un-learners! Just think about the things we've had to un-learn in order to take advantage of new and more efficient ways of doing things: shopping, cooking, banking, traveling, etc.  As children we grew to learn and assume our independence from our parents - that's a good thing. What is not good, however, is how Believers often indiscriminately shrug-off their dependence on God. Oswald Chambers notes how in Scripture clouds are often associated with God. For example, "Clouds and thick darkness are all around Him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne." (Psalm 97:2) and "Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen." (Revelation 1:7). Respectively, we often attempt to face life's storm clouds independently of The One Who surrounds Himself as such. How do we un-learn this I-can-do-this-on-my-own mentality? "Looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only." (Mark 9:8). Perhaps the storms in our lives aren't meant to teach us as much as they are designed that we may un-learn dependence on anything or anyone except God! Embracing newer and more efficient ways of living isn't all bad, but may we never-ever grow into an independence of The Father. When we look into the clouds, always see ... just Jesus.